'Bridgerton' breaks record as Netflix's most streamed English-language series

Bridgerton's second series is Netflix's most viewed English-language TV series ever.

Viewers may have complained that series two was not as steamy or risque as the first one, but the show still managed to pull in the viewers — amassing 193 million hours on its opening weekend and racking up 251.7 million viewing hours a week after its release.

It was also in the top ten in 93 countries, according to Deadline.

Read more: Daphne is 'her own person' in Bridgerton S2

In second place, Inventing Anna accrued 196 million hours. Series 2 of Shonda Rhimes' period drama launched on 25 March, which also boosted viewership of the first series, which was back in the top ten in second place with another 53 million hours watched.

Despite this, Bridgerton series 2 falls short of the viewing numbers of dystopian Korean drama Squid Game, which currently holds the overall first-week record with 571.8 million hours.

The raunchy period drama debuted in December 2020 and became the most watched series, prior to Squid Games, on Netflix.

Read more: Bridgerton S2 review

Based on Julia Quinn’s series of historical romance novels, the series follows the young singletons of London’s high society.

The second series was met with lukewarm reviews from critics without its star from the first season, Regé-Jean Page.

The first series focused on the love story of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and the Duke of Hastings (Page). It was watched by 82 million households in the first month of release.

Bridgerton’s second series follows Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) who is looking for love.

Watch: Bridgerton author on show: 'Romance readers were dying for something like this'